Local Councils pleased with Immigration New Zealand announcement

Page Content

Tuesday 12 December, 2017

Ashburton
and Selwyn District Councils are delighted that the Welcoming Communities
Standard has now been launched by Immigration New Zealand.

The
Councils, which are among five regions in the country to pilot Welcoming
Communities, will use the Standard to measure the success of their Welcoming
Communities initiatives, when they get underway in the new year.
Equitable access; inclusive leadership; civic engagement and participation; and
welcoming public spaces are just some of the elements of the outcomes-based
standard.

“Around the world, Kiwis are known for being friendly, hospitable,
and inclusive and we want that to be the absolute reality for people living in
the Ashburton and Selwyn Districts,”
Ashburton Mayor Donna Favel says.

“It
is about becoming better host communities, rather than only expecting newcomers
and migrants to change their ways. We know that welcoming activities create
bonds between local residents and newcomers that have social, economic and
cultural benefits for everyone,” Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton says.

The
two-year Welcoming Communities programme is designed to support local councils
and their communities to become even more welcoming to recent migrants, former
refugees, international students, and even New Zealanders coming from
elsewhere. Other Councils and communities taking part in the pilot programme
are Tauranga/Western Bay of Plenty (Tauranga City Council and
Western Bay of Plenty District Council); Southland
(Gore District Council, Invercargill City Council and Southland District
Council); Whanganui (Whanganui District Council); and Palmerston North (Palmerston North City Council).

Based on its success, the
programme may be rolled out to other regions in New Zealand from July 2019.